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Georgia Power has launched its Electric Transportation Pilot Program to promote the use of electric vehicles (EVs) throughout our state.

The program offers rebates, education and services – including special rates and charging options – to help our residential and business customers save money, save energy and help protect the environment.

Explore our website, and return often for frequent updates, including information on rebates for the installation of qualifying charging stations, charging locations in your area.

Many EV Drivers have already felt the disappointment of needing to charge at a public station and finding it already occupied. You may find an EV that is already charged, but the owner has not returned to move it. Please take a look at our Charging Etiquette suggestions. If we all use them, we can make the most out of the charging stations available. And if you find that someone has been less than considerate, leave a flyer on their windshield instead of an angry note. The flyer is designed to print two to a page so you can spread the word while saving paper.

25 Free registrations wins the club a free L2 charger to donate to a local business. Contribute to EV awareness and infrastructure, register as a race participant for free and type EV Club of the South as your company at http://e-mazingrace.com/

The EV Club of the South invites you to kick off Drive Electric Week at Atlantic Station's Central Park area on Saturday September 13, 2014. This is the same site as last year's Plugin Day event. East and West District Avenues between 18th and 19th Street for the display of plug-in vehicles again this year. Because space is limited in Central Park, we will again have additional space for you to show off your EV in the parking area between Target and the EV Charging Spot on 17th St. The event will begin at this parking area at 9:00 AM and then some vehicles will move to Central Park to set up for the 11:00 AM official start. Both events will end at 3:00 PM.

We are limited to about 30 cars in Central Park. We would like to have a wide variety of EVs in there, but due to the tight quarters, we can't have cars coming and going from this site. If you would like to display your car in Central Park, please let us know that you can be there from 11:00-3:00. We will select cars from those who can stay. The rest of us can talk about our favorite drives at the larger parking lot. The parking lot entrance is on 18th Street just west of State Street and across from the Target Store.

We plan to have vendors and informational tables at the event, too. Please plan to check them out and let us know if you are a vendor interested in arranging for a display.

A modified version of the bill passed the Senate, but the House voted to keep the original version, which was not reconsidered by the Senate on the last day. The Bill is dead for this year. We will update you with information to help keep the tax credits in place until they are truly able to compete on their own.

UPDATE!

Unfortunately, HB257, which would remove the EV tax credit passed the House on March 3. It was amended to become effective July 1. Here is a tally of the vote; let your representative know that EVs are good for Georgia and pay for themselves by keeping dollars in the state that would be spent on oil. If the bill makes it back to them, you may be able to sway their vote.

Call your State Representative before Monday March 3 to let the know that Georgia still needs to keep the EV tax credit. It is a generous benefit, but it helps keep money in our state and clears the air around us. You can find your representative here: http://openstates.org/ga/

Below are the steps on how exactly to get the state credit, which tax software knows about the Georgia forms, and notes on how electronic filing may work.

Background on the tax credits:

All electric cars qualify for the federal tax credit. This includes both pure electric vehicles (aka battery electric vehicles or BEVs) like the Nissan Leaf and "range-extended" electric vehicles (aka plugin hybrid electric vehicles or PHEVs) like the Chevy Volt. The amount of tax credit is $7500 for cars with batteries that are 16 kWh in size or larger (which includes the Leaf and the Volt); the tax credit is proportional to the battery size for cars with batteries smaller than 16 kWh (like the Ford Energi models).

Only PURE electric cars (BEVs) like the Nissan Leaf qualify for the state tax credit of $5000. Cars that can be fueled by gasoline (PHEVs) do not qualify.

Both of these tax credits are available regardless of whether you purchased or leased. However if you leased, the federal tax credit was used up by the bank you are leasing from (since technically that bank bought the car, not you) and then passed on to you in the form of a cheaper lease.

How to get the tax credit:

Buy or Lease your favorite EV

Register your car.

(If you chose an AFV-Alt Fuel Vehicle tag, you may need to wait for your final tag )

Print out the Georgia Zero Emissions Vehicle Formin color (http://www.gaepd.org/Files_PDF/forms/apb/apb_LEVZEVTAX.pdf) and fill it out. Mail it to the GA Environmental Protection Division ( attn: James Udi, address on form) attaching copies of your sales or lease receipt (with your name and signature) and tag receipt with final tag number.

Wait 2-6 weeks to get your original color form with proper stamp from GAEPD. Note that this can be the slow step in the process, so don't delay!

Print your GA tax forms and attach the original GAEPD color form. You must submit your GA state return in Hard Copy! You can use tax software to file for your Federal forms electronically to get your $7,500 federal tax credit Make copies of all forms for your records, including the GAEPD form.

If you ordered AFV-Alt Fuel Vehicle tag which allows to drive solo in HOV and HOT lane, request a free peach pass transceiver at http://www.peachpass.com .

Tax software support for Georgia tax credit:
- Turbo Tax has the GA tax form
- Taxcut does not support it.
- what is the Georgia tax form number?

If you already files electronically, this worked for worked for at least one member:

I followed TurboTax's instructions and filed electronically. I was stuck with nowhere to send in the approved EV Tax Credit Certificate. Here's an update / conclusion:

(1) I went to "Where's My Refund" on the GA Tax Center website. When I entered SS#, Amount of Refund, and Year, I was given feedback that my return was received and being processed and to call the GA Dept of Revenue (# was provided).
(2) I called the GA Dept of Revenue at the requested number. No way to get to a human being without entering the "Where's my refund" information on phone. When I did, I was automatically transferred to the call center.
(3) The call center said that my EV credit was declined and they needed to transfer me to a different department to tell me what to do.
(4) The department they transferred me to looked up my information. They actually had me on a list of "approved" EV certificates that the GA Dept. of Natural Resources provided the GA Dept of Revenue. They said that they would process my return with the credit and that I could hold on to the certificate with my printed return. No need to mail it in. I was told that I should have my refund direct deposited in 7-14 days.

[The above method may or may not work for everyone! Note that it appears that you would need to file first, wait for the state to initially process your return, and THEN you call in. It's probably simpler to file a paper return with everything included.]

Metro Plug-In would like to thank all who came by our tents this weekend during National Plug-In Day. The event was a great success and we were especially happy to see the tremendous EV turnout. We are pleased to announce the winners of our drawing for the free EV charging stations.

Chris Campbell's Electric Vehicles fact sheet (PDF, 182 kB) as an intro to EVs. The first page summarizes the cars available on the market now, and the second page goes through the basics of electric vehicles. EV veterans may note that I list the electric drivetrain horsepower, because I believe that THAT is one of the fundamental differentiators for EVs on the market -- not just the price and range! Also it factors in and highlights the cost after tax credits.

Map of charging stations around Atlanta (PDF, 642 kB) to demonstrate how widespread EV charging has already become in just two years. It includes a list of the top locations around town, and suggests some mapping websites to use to find stations anywhere in the country.